


Impartial and Objective

by 9haharharley1



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Angst with a happy-ish ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Female Protagonist, Gen, Just wanted to get this out, No pairings - Freeform, Spoilers, spoilers for heavensward, super short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 19:12:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16352552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/9haharharley1/pseuds/9haharharley1
Summary: They assigned these missions to her because they could trust her to be impartial and objective. She never let her personal feelings cloud her judgement.Even as everything fell apart around them.





	Impartial and Objective

They assigned these missions to her because they could trust her to be impartial and objective. She never let her personal feelings cloud her judgement. Even when the Scions were attacked. Even when Ilberd betrayed them. Even when her, Alphinaud, and Tataru had to flee to Ishgard.

 

Impartial and objective.

 

But then Haurchefant was struck down right in front of her.

 

Before her very eyes.

 

_Her._ The _Eikon Slayer._ Like she had never _protected_ anyone. Like _she_ needed protection.

 

She had been _so_ _angry._

Haurchefant was a good man. He needn’t have put his life on the line for her. She had fought with him and broke bread with him. He had even opened his home to her. He had heard the tales of her exploits, of her failures and achievements and had sung her praises to those Ishardians who still side-eyed her and her companions with suspicion. So why then did he feel the need to protect _her_?

 

They were friends. She considered him a very good friend. But she had been so angry when he lay there in a pool of his own blood with a gaping hole in his belly _smiling_ at her. She had been so confused, so angry.

 

And she needed to be _impartial and objective._

 

For when it finally came time to face Thordan and his knights. For when she sought vengeance for Sir Edmont and his sons. For Haurchefant. She would be _impartial and objective_ for them.

 

But when the time came and she faced the weathered old crow and his men in their armor akin to that of a primal, she found her feelings starting to cloud her judgement.

 

All her rage, all her hate, all her frustration, every ounce of sorrow she had been bottling up since she joined the Scions, for every fallen companion, for Minfillia and Haurchefant and the rest. She let it all loose.

 

Barely waiting on the Dark Knight leading their party, she rushed into the fray and she wailed on the old man. Her companions shouted at her, but her blood rushed in her ears and she barely heard them, only hearing when the healers called out for them to dodge. She was angry. She was so, so angry. And she let every bit of it out on the old man playing god before her, snarling and hateful and glaring, her ears pressed flat to her head.

 

She was still seething and trying to run forward for another hit when the Dark Knight came up behind her and placed a hand firmly on her shoulder, holding her in placing. She glared at him over her shoulder and he stared back passively, shaking his head. His own ears were pressed flat from the adrenaline of battle and they both stood panting, but he did not remove his hand until she finally relented and sheathed her lance. She took a calming breath as the rest of her companions dispersed.

 

Estinien soon joined her as she took a moment to regain her composure.

 

_Impartial and objective_.

 

And then watched in growing horror as the eyes of Nidhogg consumed him with the wyrm’s rage and she felt despair wash over her once more.

 

Another companion taken from her.

 

Midgardsormr spirited her away from the crumbling structure, and it was upon his back, alone as her friends safely flew in the _Excelsior_ ahead of her that she finally, _finally_ allowed herself to cry.

 

_“Take heart, child,”_ Midgardsormr spoke as she sobbed. She took comfort in his low, gravelly tone, but it did little to soothe her sobs. _“You dealt a great blow today and have taken the steps towards true peace between our two races. You are both a great hero and warrior, both of which suffer great loss, of which you have also suffered many. Remember that many of your friends are yet alive. Take solace in that and do all you can to protect the ones that yet remain.”_

 

Her sobs died to shallow hiccups, soon gone by the time they landed in Ishgard to a royal welcome and Sir Aymeric’s smiling face. Her eyes were red-rimmed as they all spoke, but if anyone noticed then they dare not mention it. Alphinaud gave her a suspicious onceover, but she managed a smile for her dear friend, even as he alone remained hopeful that they could yet save Estinien.

 

His hope helped fuel her and she smiled for real and agreed with him.

 

Until such time when she could finally face Nidhogg, she could remain impartial and objective for the coming days.

 

For him. For all of them.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write for my character in this game for a while, so here's the first! There may be more to come. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are welcome!


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